Veolia has secured a three-year deal with Farm Waste Recovery (FWR), part of the Industry Waste Recovery (IWR) group.
The deal will see Veolia provide collection, transport and recycling services of polypropylene packaging for their closed-loop network across Australia.
Established in 2015, FWR is the flagship program supported by cornerstone businesses, Incitec Pivot Fertilisers and Impact Fertilisers, and helps industries and farmers recycle agricultural packaging and product waste in a sustainable manner.
Leveraging Veolia’s waste collections and management expertise, IWR will work with industry stakeholders to significantly reduce the number of landfilled polypropylene bags, also known as flexible intermediate bulk container (FIBC) bags, many of which cause environmental damage by polluting fields, waterways and roads.
This initiative will allow businesses to pre-purchase the packaging, which then can be used and dropped off at collection sites, to be further transported and processed by Veolia.
Danny Conlon, Executive General Manager of Veolia Australia and New Zealand, said the new partnership demonstrated Veolia’s unwavering commitment to providing sustainable waste management solutions, with a specific focus on environmental excellence.
“We saw an incredible opportunity in partnering with an industry leader that is tackling the challenge of packaging waste head on, in particular an issue as widespread as FIBC waste. IWR has ambitious recovery targets and together, we will deliver an environment-friendly solution to recycle an otherwise wasted resource,” Mr Conlon said.
Mr Conlon added, “Our partnership with IWR is part of a wider, united targeted approach to waste management.
The significant rise in the use of polypropylene bags and its associated waste has prompted IWR to develop a solution that encourages the development of long-term collection and disposal practices.
Stephen Richards, Managing Director of IWR, confirmed FWR operates on a closed-loop supply chain and involves a cross-section of industry operators, like Veolia, as well as farmers, manufacturers and associations, which has led to gaining the support of governments and councils.
“To date, IWR has successfully recovered 1,123,928 kgs of plastic which has been turned it into re-usable plastic and is targeting the recovery of 12,000,000 kgs of plastic by June 2020,” he said.
“Partnering with Veolia will enable national coverage to all of our new and existing customers, and we see this collaboration as a step in the right direction for our group.”
Mr Conlon echoed the sentiment, “Over the next 12 to 24 months, carefully managing the recovery and reuse of FIBCs will be crucial, and we will work very closely with IWR to ensure their targets are met every step of the way.”